Many or most skincare products today are targeted at large swaths of consumers, but several problems arise when formulating skincare products for a mass market. One problem is how to accommodate the largest possible number of diverse skin types for any given product claim made. This may explain the proliferation of skin “type” products in the market (which may include, for example, oily, dry, combination, acne prone, sun sensitive, sensitive, allergy tested, poor texture, or large pores). When targeting a mass market, manufacturers must strike a balance between what is economically feasible for them relative to the quantity of products available in the market and the number of customers they can attract from the market.
Several companies today are creating “customized” products for customers. The methods employed by these companies generally fall into two groups: (1) using self-reported answers about skin concerns to recommend an existing product, or (2) using self-reported answers about skin concerns to design customized skin care formulations. One problem with both approaches is that that self-reported data can be unreliable, e.g., because customers have little objective knowledge of their skin. The first approach also suffers from the restriction of a limited set of potential products, all of which have typically been created for the mass market. The second approach has suffered from limited effectiveness of results.